The Wilmingtonian., 1887-01-29
Our Dangerous Sidewalks.

70 plnce Inc auVent OF lne January u
n which made it's first appearance Sunday 81
with thermometer close on to the six
n pedestrians along our streets have had
= emphatic experience of what filthy sire
: or rather filthy sidewalks of Wilmington
D capable of Dragging ofSunday afternoon
uon;r ,,a+ A.. IL. lie.
: trians' feet, particularly the sidewalk
] any degree travelled over wore naught 80
: than volcanoes of glutinous sticky mud. =
! pavement bricks OVERLAPPING this Wis
threatening uass ,yora -, n,otoo.;o,, ,iat
ever from the sud len geysers of spou' y
, mud that momentarily remind the uuio'
} pecting pedestrian of the hidden danGei
/, existing beneath him. Comfort in wall ~
along the sidewalks is impossible. ("r
meuts are constantly soled, shoes look a.
their wearers had made pilgrimage thro's
some brick yard. Traversing Market st &c
last Sunday evening resembled nothing oi'
than march across 'trembling be-
The under strata beneath the pavement "a'
an undalatory sponge the bricks retair ne
their position by no other law than tina, ol
the vscidty of the mud beneath them, tueS
"up-ended" swayed or swung according at
the pedestrians specific gravity impresieu'
formed and reformed themselves into M uu-
latory hills giving in some instances a ug'
gestion of rolling prairie.
The citizens who yentured forth Sun gay
evening last had au excellent opportunity 10
contrast the comparative advantage of gi ian-
ite having stones aa ooo;rst t,,a ohao,,4o ,ld-
fashioned and aggravatng brick pavemt h9
People going to church stepped hesitatinsY
along the dangerous sidewalk. At eft
moment there was the alternative of los ng
an overs shoe in muddy hole or having OF
garments filthily garnished by vigorous
spouting of liquid mud. Wherever the ((im
street light allowed, professions of cauti}u
pedestrians zizagged in Indian file from pne
vantage ground" to the next along sne
wilderness of treacherous mud traps. were
the snow completely off the cobble stones OF
the street, the latter would have made She
choice for perambulation.
This is condition Of things THAT shoiid
not longer be tolerated. If it were posi-
some mupieinal restriction should ba aied
to prevent the further construction of such
lily planned sidewalks. The simple fauf Is
that after thaw or a rain the major part
of Market street sidewalk is impassahle hle'
ouie3 - s-ss--s Sit
tee, for instance, who could, did they wish
to look for it, find abundant food for con
sderation. Their duty is not done until the
citizen of Wilmington is afforded reasonbly
safe and comfortable foot way upon the
streets. This we have not at certain seasons
Why not pass an enactment that all new
sidewalk be constructed with the large
granite paving stones What comfort we |
al found them Sunday evening last. 1t may
be added that the most repulsiye phase Of
lha disagreable experience referred to is
hat in passing along the. streets, especially |
side streets, where the brick pavement Gov
,rs certain runlets issuing from houses and |
yards the offensive assailings from the mud |
geysers, referred to have, in addition to their
other discomforts that of most offensive |
which the unfortunate vic |
i'm whose garments have been soiled must
1erforce carry about with bim upon his per
son perhaps for days before he can rid him
self of the effete odor.